Sharing a Pavilion With You
Chapter 60: Happy New Year

Chapter 60: Happy New Year

It was the week of Chinese New Year, and the Second Prince was practising archery with the Mei brothers at their mansion. It had been his habit in recent years to spend a lot of the week of New Year visiting the Mei mansion. The absence of his mother was felt most keenly during this week, and that chasm was slightly filled by the family atmosphere at the Mei’s, and the presence of Madam Yu.

It wasn’t lost on the Mei brothers that he was an even more frequent visitor since he’d met their sister.

Meili appeared to join her brothers for some fun. She spotted the Second Prince immediately, and her steps faltered. Too late to turn around. She pushed her shoulders back and held her head high. She had nothing to be ashamed of. That despicable man should be the one who was ashamed of himself!

"Your highness," she greeted him with a curtsy. "Happy New Year to you and your family."

"Miss Mei," he said with the half-amused look he always seemed to direct her way. "May good fortune fall upon you."

"Tan Bowen plans to visit this afternoon too," said Fifth Brother.

"Speak of the devil," the prince rolled his eyes as his friend and rival in love, appeared.

Normally he would be happy to see the fellow, but when Miss Mei was available, he didn’t want any competition for her attentions. Even her brothers weren’t excluded from his possessiveness.

"Tan Bowen, may all your wishes come true in the Year of the Dragon," called Meili happily, walking up to greet him.

"Mei Meili," he smiled and performed a dashing bow. "I certainly hope that they do. Here’s to another twelve months of joy and unforgettable memories with my dearest friend."

Meili looked touched as she smiled at him.

Fourth Brother nudged Third and indicated towards the Second Prince with his eyebrows. The man was scowling.

Third smirked. "I smell vinegar," he whispered.

As Meili headed to the weapons rack and reached for her bow, the Second Prince deliberately reached over her for a weapon, touching her hand.

"Excuse me, Miss Mei," he said, letting his hand linger on hers.

She stared up at him with those wide eyes of hers, trying to pull her hand out from under his as he deliberately tightened his grip, giving her a little smile before he let go. She blushed furiously. She was going to have to have a serious talk with this young man. He was taking liberties!

Then she thought for the first time, that it was perhaps because he hadn’t had a mother to raise him, and her annoyance turned to empathy. She should be patient with him and teach him how to behave nicely around young women. She could only imagine what her brothers would be like without the influence of their mother raising them; they would be savages!

She took her place on the shooting platform, Tan Bowen standing on one side of her and the Second Prince on the other.

"A little competition?" asked the Second Prince.

"Yes, let’s," agreed Meili immediately.

"Count me in," said Tan Bowen cheerfully.

Meili called to the servant who was setting up the targets. "Can we have some bowls pulled for a competition please Boyan?"

"Yes, Young Miss."

They each started with a single bowl, tossed high by Boyan. Each of them struck their target in turn. Boyan upped the ante to two bowls per competitor, thrown in quick succession. Meili and the prince hit both of theirs. Tan Bowen hit one, but only tapped and didn’t shatter the second.

He sighed, nodding in resignation.

"Beaten by a girl, Tan Bowen," gloated the prince.

"If I have to be beaten by a girl, I choose it to be you, Mei Meili."

"Thank you for the compliment, Tan Bowen," she grinned.

She steadied herself for the pull of three bowls. The prince went first, and he struck all three with ease. Now it was her turn, she struck the first two immediately and just managed to shatter the third before it hit the ground.

"Yay!" she danced about happily. It was a bit messy, but she did the job.

"This time we shoot for the same three targets," said the prince.

The feathers on Meili’s arrow were blue and the prince’s were red, so it would be easy to see who hit which target.

The three bowls flew up into the air, almost no time between them. The prince loosed three arrows in a single shot, smashing all three bowls. He reloaded another three arrows with eye-watering speed and shot each of Meili’s three arrows out of the air where they were sailing into nothingness, knocking them to the ground.

"Oh," she said sadly. "You already won fair and square. Was there any need to knock down all of my arrows?"

"I didn’t want to give you any false hope. That can be dangerous."

"You sound exactly like First Brother," she complained.

"He’s a good man, Mei Renlong."

Third Brother, who had been watching them, walked over to his sister. "Never mind meimei. It’s no disgrace to lose to the Second Prince. He’s a fearsome archer. Almost as good as he is at polo."

"Mei Renjun," nodded the prince.

"It’s nearly the Lantern Festival meimei. Have you thought about your reward from father?"

When First Brother had given her his reward for winning ’take-the-flag’, she had asked to be allowed to leave the city on the night of the Lantern Festival to enjoy the view from a mountain peak.

"You know gege, with all that’s happened over the last two weeks, I had completely forgotten! But yes, we must take advantage of father’s promise. How about Purple Mountain ge?"

"Alight if that’s what you want. Leave it with me to make the arrangements with father, meimei."

"May I join you, Mei Renjun?" asked the prince formally.

"Of course, your highness."

No one would consider refusing the second prince of the realm a simple request like that.

"I must come too, Third, this will be great fun!"

"Alright Tan Bowen. Let me clear all this with father first."

"What about Sofya?" asked Meili. "Can I invite her?"

"There’s no way her brother will let her leave the city in a small group. She’d need an armed escort and even then, I don’t think he’d agree."

"Yes, you’re right ge," she realised it wouldn’t be appropriate to ask after the attack last week.

Meili would have been upset that the Second Prince was tagging along, but she was hopeful now to spend some time alone with him and have a heart-to-heart conversation with the man.

He would be missing his mother at this time of year, more than any other, and her heart softened thinking of this. She would do her best to fill that void.

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